James Toney: "i'm Still The Best Heavyweight In The World!" (02/28/08)

Editor: It's been a minute since we've had you on, What's the latest and greatest James? James Toney: "My weight is down, I've been in the gym and I'm ready to go. These motherf**kers saying I might be fighting Danny Williams or such and such, or that I'm out of shape, let them keep thinking that. I'm in shape and I will be ready when I get in there." Editor: What did you think about the Klitschko-Ibragimov unification bout? James Toney: "That was some bullshit. That was some garbage. They should be shot for fighting that way in a fight HBO paid all of that money for. Now Klitschko is going to call himself the champion of the world and that's nonsense. How can you say you're the heavyweight champion of the world when you were just scared to death in the ring?" Editor: When you were sitting there watching the fight were you burning up knowing that the opportunity for you to become heavyweight champion is still there? JT: "Yes sir. I know this. Those guys are jokes. The fight was a disgrace to put a show on like that in Madison Square Garden." Editor: Is this your last run at a heavyweight title, is it now or never? JT: "Definitely and I ain't never losing again. I'm still the peoples champion and everybody knows that nobody's ever whooped James Toney. Not even Sam Peter, everybody seen what I did to him for 24 rounds. If he's supposed to be the big bad wolf, he was supposed to knock me out and he couldn't do that. I ruined that boy, you all saw it against McCline and you're going to continue to see it when he fights Maskaev. I softened him up for all those guys." Editor: Are you still expecting Peter to lose to Maskaev? JT: "Yes. And if he does beat Maskaev, he's going to have to see me again and this time I'm going to destroy him." Editor: The last time we spoke Jirov's name was coming up, did nothing become of it? JT: "They talked some shit, but I'm tired of everybody talking, it's time to get down to business. If you really want to fight, call my promoter Dan Goossen and we'll make it happen. Dan will put me in with anybody." Editor: Have you and Dan honed in on any one of couple of potential opponents for your return? JT: "It's like football, right now me and Dan are putting a game plan together and we're going o execute it when I step through the ropes. We're going to have the date and the opponent all done and when we do, get the call. I've fought the best in six weight classes and nobody could beat me or knock me out, the only person who ever beat me was myself. When you're talking the greatest, my name belongs up there with all of them because I've fought the best from middleweight to heavyweight. You can't say that about anybody else in boxing. Not Bernard Hopkins, not Oscar, not Roy, nobody. None of them have been fighting the kind of heavyweights I've been fighting." Editor: At what weight will this championship run take place? JT: "212-217 right around where I fought Holyfield. When I'm at that weight you'll know I'm ready for the primtime." Editor: Who will be training you? JT: "Steve Suluki." Editor: What happened with Freddie Roach? JT: "Me and Freddie are cool, it was just time for us to part ways. I love Freddie and there's no love lost. Now it's just time for me to go out there and do my thing, getting back to the basics. He's still my younger brother and I love him and I wish him the best. I'm sure he feels the same way about me." Editor: Will the first fight back be tune up or are you looking for the toughest possible opposition out of the gate? JT: "I want to come back with the best. I know I'm still the best heavyweight in the world today and I want to come back against the best possible opposition. I don't want no walkover fights like they've been Klitschko. I want real fights." Editor: Closing thoughts? JT: "The fun is back for me and I'm ready to go. I'm amped right now. , I'm starving right now, I'm hungry."